The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-11-19
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From our Regular Correspondent.

w AoAANO1ONB 1NON1 10, 1901.
One of the most notable characters
that can be seen nearly every day up
on the beautiful drive to the Soldiers
Home, is the historian Bancroft. He
is nearly ninety years of age, but can
tide his horse as gracefully as dash
ing Brigadier. Every day he de-
votes certain hours to labor on his
exhausting history of the United
States, and then mounts his horse
and with his valet few rods in the
rear. goes flying into the country for
recreation. There is something re-
markable in his personal appearance.
Tall and straight, long white hair
hanging to his shoulders, thin face,
with full beard, and head covered
with an ordinary cloth cap with an
unusually large vizOr. All take de-
light in doing him honor, ard point
with pride TO the great literary
achievements of the grand old Amer
| lean.
L never knew until the other day
how they tested concrete foundations,
and was greatly interested in the ex-
pertinent witnessed at the new Con-
gressional Library site, You know
that it is to be an immense structure,
and must have a good foundation.
They will use there over 10000 bar
rels of cement. The ground on which
the concrete is laid is required to
stand pressure of two and a half
! tons to the square foot. Now in max
ing these tests the process is this /:
-Four short iron pillars are placed on
the ground about four feet apart.
These are exactly one foot square at
the bottom, and resting on these are
two iron rods about a foot in height.
| on which is a fiat car loaded with 80
tons of pig lead, and this weight be-
ing equally divided between the four
square feet covered by the iron pill
lars, solves the problem. Everything
used in this building will be subject.
ed to the severest test and when COM
pieted will be the finest structure on
this continent, if not the wide world.
Several weeks ago l alluded to the
bitter feeling existing in the Interior
Department regarding Land Com
missioner Sparks, and predicted his
resignation or dismissal, The quar-
rel mas reached the eliminating point
and Secretary Lamar says in long
letter that either himself or Sparks
must 60. 1t will be Sparks. The
Post, the Administrative organ here,
says HE is probably the most I'M
popular official in the Government, a
title which he has earned by strict at
tention to the business of making
himself unpopular. (which is just
W hat the Republicans have claimed.
His dismissal will rejoice thousands
OF the honest land settlers of the great
West, who have been most shame.
fully outraged by his unjust decisions
and unwise interference. Let Sparks
go back to the shades. He never
should have been dug up.
Congress sometimes makes the
most egregious plumbers. Last win
ter they passed ian act to restrict the
ownership Of real estate in the Terri
tories to American citizens" aad
have just discovered that in the body
of the act the District of Columbia is
also included. This will preclude even
foreign legations from owning more
real estate in Washington. which Ger.
tainly was never intended unless by
the crafty politician who drew the
bill. Several Congressman have been
interviewed, who express their en-.
tire ignorance of such legislation un.
til shown the act, which, of course,
will be speedily amended. But then
it shows how careless our law-mak-
ers are.
The Department of Agriculture has
gathered some very instructive sta
tistics, There was planted this year
$1,000, 900 acres of corn, which gave
an average of twenty bushels to the
acre, The potato crop averages fifty
four bushels to the acre. and the yield
aggregates 1874, 900, 900 bushels, 80, 900,
009 less than last pear. Other figures
are being tabulated at the Depart
ment, and will be itimized in subse-
quent letters.
All concede that the late elections
settle beyond question the renomina-
ton of President Cleveland, but how
it will effect the second on the ticket
is not quite so clear. Gen. Blacks
boom has pretty much subsidized.
That of Gen, Villas is looking up